There You'll Be
by Punky Princess 89
Summary: Amy Paxton suffers a terrible tragedy, that turns her world upside down. When she is mysteriously transfered back in time to the year 452 AD can she create a new life for herself? Better summary inside
1. Summary

"There You'll Be"

"**There You'll Be"**

**Summary:**

After a terrible accident, little 10 yr-old Amy Katherine Paxton moves from her home town of London, England to live with her God Parents Rahj & Bethany who live in Kerala, on the tropical Malabar Coast in southwest India.

Heartbroken and haunted by her past, she is struggling to adjust to a new land and her new life, when she is miraculously swept back in time to the year 452 AD.

There she meets and befriends an older couple by the names of Aurelius & Mira.

Mira teaches Paxton Amerine Antonius, as she is now known, how to defend herself.

Like Mira, 'Pax' masters every level of the Indian Martial Arts & Combat Defense at the early age of 14.

Still unsure of her new life, Pax is visited by a Dimension Shifter who explains that her purpose and destiny lie in this life on her home island of what is now called Britain.

Determined to find the reasons behind her time travel, she leaves the Byzantine protection arms and travels to Britain, in search of a man with a familiar name, Artorius Castus.

Upon arriving in Britain Pax, a now strong and independent 15 yr-old, starts not only her search for Arthur and his knights, but also a new life.

But what happens when she starts to experience déjà vu, and realizes she is re-living history, knowing what is to come she tries desperately to protect her family, friends and her own life which she happily is rebuilding.

To hear more about Pax's journey, follow me through the winding roads and exicting adventure's that she undertakes as the youngest and only female knight is service to Artorius Castus.

**Disclaimer:**

Just to reiterate the fact that I own nothing, not 'King Arthur' or 'The Last Legion'.

So if you want to sue me over this story, all you are going to get is my collection of Porcelain Dolls!

Hope you all enjoy!!


	2. Prologue

Disclaimer:

**Disclaimer:**

Just to reiterate the fact that I own nothing of 'King Arthur' (sighs)

So if you want to sue me over this story, all you are going to get is my collection of Porcelain Dolls!

Hope you all enjoy!!

"**Prologue"**

I was sore and tired, but it was still another hour before home was even close. I turned to my left at the sound of the muddy grass being squished by hooves, and smiled as the man next to me came into full view.

"Another hour or so and we'll be free men……and women" he smirked at me, "I'm not sure how I'm going to go adjusting to 'normal' life, what about you Pax?" he asked.

I stopped for a moment and thought about it, what was normal for me anyway. I was a 25 yr-old women who had the capability of outsmarting most men in combat, not a skill often retained by women, but found it hard to retain any of my life before the age of 10.

"I'm not sure!" I replied as we continued, joining the rest of the men who were grumbling about having to wait so long for there dismissal papers.

"Who is this Bishop guy anyway?" whined Galahad, "Why couldn't Rome just send the papers on their own!"

"And how would they get here…fly?!" teased Gawain "Someone needs to carry them so would you just stop your whining and hurry up, the sooner we find them the sooner we can get back!"

I laughed at the bickering between the two, Lancelot chuckled to himself and Bors just pulled a face at Galahad.

I reflected back on my previous conversation with Lancelot, and my mind wandered back to the thoughts of what freedom would be like, could I go back to Keralaputra (the original name for Kerala). That is where Aurelius & Mira lived now, and maybe I could find out if the portal was still open in Keralaputra and go back to 2008.

But that wouldn't be any good, as I didn't have anything to really go back to, with my family no longer alive, the only thing that I clearly remembered from my past, there was nothing pulling me to go back. And I had a family as good as any right here, the only problem was that they would all most likely go back to Sarmatia when they were given their freedom.

I was brought out of my reverie by Arthur saying that he could see a carriage up ahead. We all stopped, I took a moment to look at my fellow knights: Dagonet, Bors, Gawain, Galahad, Tristan and of course Arthur & Lancelot right out in front. It had been hard to fit in at first as I was not only the youngest but also the only girl. But in the last 10 years that we have been fighting alongside each other, we have formed a bond stronger than any.

As we all slow to a stop, my thoughts wander to my past again. I have started writing down the past as I remember it, even though it can be difficult, and have almost finished what I believe is most of my life before I came here.

Not that my life in those times was more exciting, I find that if I could I would most likely erase all memories from before my transportation, but unfortunately it cannot be done, so now I just try to focus on my future.

Fortunately, the only ones who know of my genuine past are those who I would consider my family, and have never uttered a word to anyone about. Mira & Aurelius practically raised me, so they know exactly what someone finding out would do to me, and the men , well I think their reasons are a mixture of honor, respect, love and the knowledge that I would not hesitate in severely injuring anyone of them if they ever broke my trust.

Suddenly Peyton, my horse, whinnies and my attention is brought to the fact that the carriage we are supposed to be watching is under attack by Woads. Although I do not blame them for trying to take back their land, for it is my land too, and I can understand them wanting to hold onto it, they do tend to make a mess when they attack, making a problem for us as we all tire of the never ending barrage between our men and the natives.

Here we go again I think as we charge forward, there is no way any of us wish to stay knights bound by law forever, and even though my 10 years is a lot less than the men's 15, I still want to be dismissed from my service. As I draw my curved Indian blade from behind my back, I can't help but think that this maybe the last time we will fight together, it is a sad yet joyous thought that I welcome for I well know that anytime we spend together in the future will be as friends and not just as comrades!

I swing my long blade and it slices through the back of a Woad making him collapse face first on the moist grass, getting close enough I dismount quickly and remove my dagger which is concealed at my waist. It has to be my favorite weapon, it was given me by Mira, it has a short but very sharp 25cm blade and when I pull back on the small trigger built into its handle two sharp 10cm blades are revealed on either side. I move swiftly darting in between Woads and my fellow men, even though I am fatigued I feel a shot of adrenaline rush through my body as I fight against what we call the 'blue demons'. I notice Lancelot has also dismounted, like me I can tell he moves better with two feet on the ground than riding on his horse. Bors and Dag have also dismounted they run around like madman dropping Woads left, right & centre!

I see Tristan looking at me and go over to help him out. He and I have similar fighting tactics, having a natural knack for ending lives, we both have curved swords, only instead of his being blade crafted in India, it was in the northern regions closer to Asia. We stand back to back and with absolute grace and precision dispose of our opponents without even looking. Once we have posed a serious dent in there warriors they start to head more towards the Roman soldiers, who, pardon my French, don't know their sword from the arse!

Lancelot, as usual is flying through men like an animal, he only believes in what he can see, or touch, or in most cases kill! This leading to his devouring of pretty much anything that crosses his path! Like me he is also ambidextrous, and can use both his hands to his defense, only instead of a sword and a dagger, he has twin blades, both completely identical, and they can cut through anything!

Dag and Gawain are axe wielders by trade, and tend to do a lot of decapitating with large lethal swings, whilst Arthur accomplishes similar results with his trusty sword, Excalibur.

Bors is also racking up a decent body count, using his hand held blades that fit into his fists and run along the outside of his arms. Galahad, even though he is a gifted fighter, doesn't like battling and tends to fight usually for protection. I have talked to him before about his disdain for fighting, he says that is all just a means to an end, and that when his commission is through he will put it all far behind him, he also understands why the Woads wouldn't want their homeland taken from them and so to doesn't like the idea of massacring them!

I look around an notice that everything seems to be going smoothly except, "LANCELOT, BEHIND YOU!" I yell, he turns and strikes down the Woad that was trying to creep up on him. Once finished he looks back at me and smirks, "Since when do I need help from you, did you think I could honestly not hear him?!" I look at him with annoyance "I was just helping!" I shoot back "Besides you try and help me, even when you're not invited why should it be any different with you!" I say with a fake glare.

Our attention is drawn to Bors who is yelling at the trees, challenging more Woads to come out! Gawain holds his sword to a Woad who stupidly charges for him anyway. Then what looks to be a leader runs at Arthur, we watch them stare at each other in a combat like stance. When Arthur releases the Woad and we all return to the carriage to check on the Bishop, I feel my drowsiness return. I do not notice the Woad in the bushes till he has already fired his arrow, but I feel it as the arrow pierces my thigh. I scream out in pain, and fall to the ground, very much awake now. Lancelot and Tristan rush to my side as Galahad pulls back his bowstring and plunges an arrow into the Woad that was hiding in the bush. A mixture of tiredness and pain overcomes me and I become unconscious.

I wake up to a harsh bumping against my thigh and realize that I'm lying against something. As I pull back become aware that I am sharing with Lancelot and that Peyton is loyally following behind us, I am unsure to why but I wrap my arms around his waist and slowly take in a deep breath, feeling completely calm and safe.

"Sleeping Beauty awakes! Was the fighting too much today Princess?" Galahad taunts, which earns him a slap on the back of his head from Gawain. Lancelot turns to look at me with a sigh of relief. "Promise me you will never take your eye of the ball like that again?!" He says with his voice slightly raised and concern evident in his voice. I glare at him and he quickly adds "Well, let's just say that we actually miss having you constantly talking when we are on our way home!" My glare softens and I laugh loudly, it always seems to relax the men so I try to do it often.

Arthur slows and falls into step with Lancelot and myself. "Well that was a different ending than usual, most of the time you're the only one who doesn't get hurt. Are you ok?" he asks. I look myself over and notice the only injury is the bandage around my thigh "I think the odds are in my favor" I reply with slight smirk. This causes Lancelot to give a small sigh and a slight chuckle.

"You guys really need to stop worrying about me, I have been fighting alongside you all for 10 years and this is probably the most serious thing that has ever happened. I remember when I first joined this regiment, everyone used to just stand there and watch me fight. I even remember on one occasion when I was facing off against 5 Woads near the wall, and a certain male, who will remain nameless," I say and watch as Galahad goes red for he knows exactly what I am going to say next. "Stood there and watched me fight, then when they were all dead, gallantly ran up and opened that small gate for me! So what I would like to know is when all this supposed concern started?!" I say almost out of breath from saying so much.

By this time I have caught all the men's attention, and we start laughing.

Arthur rides off ahead as the rest of us discuss what we are going to do with out new freedom.

I hear Gawain talking about marrying a beautiful Sarmatian, and Bors laughing at him exclaiming "Why do you think we came here in the first place?" then imitating a cow, making the others laugh. By this time Lancelot has joined in saying that if Gawain's wife is going to be beautiful that he may just spend a great deal of time at his house, this causing a slightly sarcastic banter between the two.

I slowly close my eyes and drift back off into a light sleep, patiently waiting till later this evening when our festivities will begin and I can go back to taunting the men because I can almost outdo them all at darts and beat them all at gambling! That is what I am especially looking forward to though, because the gambling usually takes place between me and Lancelot, and even though I usually beat him he is extremely competitive and will keep going until he is completely broke!

Before I am completely asleep I can hear Arthur's voice again which means we are nearly home and free, it feels like such a burden has been lifted. Even thought most of us we will most likely die in another battle we have all made it clear that we would like it to be a battle of our own choosing, for to die for a truly righteous cause would be the greatest honor!

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So what did you guys think, I know it's a bit slow but I just wanted to establish the characters and their relationships.

I also want to let everyone know that some parts will be the same as the movie, but some will not!

The next chapter will be called "In the Beginning" as goes back to when Paxton was still Amy, before she was transported.

I would really appreciate some comments, but no flames please just constructive criticism!

Luv ya all,

xo Punky ox


	3. In The Beginning

Disclaimer:

**Disclaimer:**

Just to reiterate the fact that I own nothing of 'King Arthur' (sighs)

So if you want to sue me over this story, all you are going to get is my collection of Porcelain Dolls!

Hope you all enjoy!!

"**In the Beginning….."**

I always hated flying, and now I think it's even worse! With the constant pressure and the turbulence, who cares if it's statistically the safest way to travel, it's uncomfortable and annoying!

"Do you need anything else?" the Flight Attendant asks stuffily.

I smile politely and say "No, thanks", she nods and saunters off down the aisle, just to make sure that all the guys in rows G & H stare and whistle.

The coffee, which a few minutes ago after ordering it seemed like the perfect blend of warmth and memories, has now become cold and dull, a feeling that I had grown very accustom to over the past week.

I know what you thinking, 'Why on earth is a 9 yr-old girl drinking coffee?!' well it's a long story…….

"Come on Mom, hurry up!" I was waiting to be picked up from school and I was so excited I could hardly contain it! My family was visiting from all over, I mean you name it and I know someone there. Australia, America, Asia, Europe and even India! You see my family used to travel a lot, until they had me, then they settled down in London, the 'Land of my Ancestors' as my grandmother would always say. Anyway, I think you get the point, I live in England and my family live everywhere else! So when I heard we were having a reunion I was ecstatic! Unfortunately, my parent's best friends and my God-Parents, Rahj & Bethany could not make it. They live in Kerala one of the most beautiful spots in India, as it is on the tropical Malabar Coast in southwest India.

But they were unable to get time off work for any long period of time, but promised to come and see us all very soon. Little did I know how soon it would be.

My thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Collins running past me yelling at someone about an accident in central London and that over a hundred people had died in the collapse of the new shopping mall.

Slowly, all the students waiting went into our main office to watch on the plasma mounted in the reception area! As soon as I saw the pictures I froze; you know how some people can just tell when something is wrong? It was then that I noticed the police car that was pulling up in front of school, the officers came inside and walked past all the students who had gathered. They whispered something to Mrs. Laing, and then went over to a little boy and a girl and told them to come with them, and then as my heart stopped they came to me. As the three of us sat in the back of the police car, I took a moment to try and get my thoughts together. We arrived at the police station and the first person I saw was Bethany, happy and sad to see her I ran up and gave a hug, by this time I was already bawling. I knew something had happened but no one had bothered to explain it to me, and I was getting frustrated, why they couldn't just tell me was beyond my understanding! I could handle it, I already knew something was wrong, why did they have to keep it from us?

I hadn't noticed Beth & Rahj come and sit by me, both with tears running down their faces, they looked at me and half smiled. Then a big man with dark curly hair and deep understanding eyes asked to come into his office. "Hello, I'm Lieutenant Owen. As you are all aware there has been an accident and I am sorry to say that Kathy & Rhys Paxton, along with Jonathon & Elizabeth Paxton and Kamelia & Benaro Alberto were all killed in the collapse." They words didn't feel real, nothing felt real, I wasn't even crying anymore, I didn't think I had any tears left, and it didn't feel like enough!

The Lieutenant continued to talk to Beth & Rahj, something about a will, custody and papers, but I couldn't listen, my brain had gone to mush and I wasn't functioning.

"If you could just sign here and here, then everything will be in order. You can take your time, I will be outside" finished Lieutenant Owen. As soon as he had left Beth & Rahj turned to me. "Sweetie, we know this is difficult, but your parents left you to us if anything happened to them. So we have these papers and if we sign them, you will be living with us from now on" said Beth. Rahj continued for her saying "If you want, we don't have to sign them and you could stay here in London with a nice family". A nice family?! My family was a nice family!! "IT'S NOT FAIR!!" I yelled at Rahj, "My family was nice, why couldn't have just kept them!!" I sobbed. Beth & Rahj held out their arms and we all sat there together crying for the next half and hour. After I had managed to stop I looked at them both and said "There is nowhere else in the world I would rather be that with the only family I have now, can I please go home with you both?" They looked at me shocked at first but then smiled. An hour later we walked out of the Police station and I was legally Beth & Rahj's.

(I know it usually doesn't happen that fast but it does in my story)

They organized for me to fly to India on my own after all my stuff was sent over, I requested that I could go over after by myself so I had sometime on my own. I stayed with my friend Jenny for two days, then her mom & dad took me to the airport, I waved goodbye and that was that. I was now on my way to India, to live out the rest of my day's probably in self inflicted solitude. And that pretty much brings everyone up to speed with my life; I know it's pretty tragic. So now I am flying over water on my way to Kerala, and as mentioned earlier I hate flying!

- PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA -

3 months later……

"Amy, it's dinner time. Are you joining us?" called Beth; with a slight hint of frustration in her voice.

I hadn't been eating very much recently; I had discovered some old books of my grandparents that mentioned people fasting during the grieving period. So given that I had lost he ability to show my emotions by crying, I had decided to adorn myself in black and only eat when necessary, which to a stubborn 10 yr-old was only when forced!

It had been really hard to adapt to different surroundings, the house was too big, and felt half empty all the time, it didn't help that I had only ever been here on holidays and it felt weird trying to live here. Beth & Rahj had done everything possible to help, but it would never be the same. They went to work and I went to school, when we were at home they would do their thing and I would do mine; they tried to give me my space which I was thankful for and for a time I truly though everything would be ok. But it started to go downhill about a month ago, it was my birthday and usually I would wake up and Mom, Dad and me would have a huge breakfast together to celebrate my turning a year older! However, when I woke that morning all that surrounded me was a vacant and bitter house. Downstairs was a note explaining that they had had to leave early for work and that Mrs. Denali from up the road would be taking me to school. That morning I barricaded my door and refuse to leave my room, granted it was a childish thing to do and I had always prided my self on being exceptionally mature for my age, but for that moment I wanted to just be a child!

It was then that I started to unpack all the items I had inherited from my deceased family, such as jewelry, maps and old books with stories about England when it was called the island of Britannia. I got lost in another world, following knights and kings on their quests for glory, but nothing interested me as much as the stories of a half Roman, half Briton Knight named Artorius Castus and his fellow Sarmatian knights who were an unstoppable force in protecting the Roman forces whilst in Britannia. Of course growing up in England I had heard the King Arthur fairytales, but nothing could compare to the actual history of brave men who fought for the empire of Rome.

This lead to me spending more and more time in my room just reading. The outstanding thing is that just this week I feel as though I am getting better; I had dinner with Beth & Rahj on Monday & later on Beth came in to room and looked at one of books. "How could you read all this, it's so gory?" she asked pulling a face, I looked up at her and replied "Because it's real history, _**my**_ history, it's not made up battles. I know it happened and there is nothing I can do about it but learn" I paused, "Mommy always said I had an unusual way of being able to handle even the most gruesome stories!" I said with a small chuckle. She sat down next to me, "I thought the King Arthur stories weren't real?" she asked puzzled, "The fairytale versions aren't" I replied, "But the person that the stories are based on is real, his name was Artorius Castus, or Arthur, and he was like me half British and half Roman, or in my case Italian." She laughed and said to me "Not that you could tell with your light hair and fair skin!" It was true; my mom had beautiful olive skin and dark brown, almost black hair that cascaded in big curls around her face and down her back. But my favorite thing was her eyes, they were a deep green, and sparkled with mischief my Dad would always say. Sadly, I did not inherit the dark hair or green I eyes, I have these bluish-green aqua eyes that can change color depending on my mood or the weather, everyone else thought it was amazing but I hated it!

My hair was dark blonde or light brown, whatever you're fancy. And my skin, the only thing that was vaguely inherited from my Italian blood, was fair except for when I spent long hours in the sun, then it would tan and I would love it! That is why I enjoyed visiting Beth & Rahj, because being outside all day didn't mean having to where a coat and scarf like home, it meant long days at the markets with Mom, and hours at the beach with Dad. I would go home to London wonderfully tan, and my hair will have gone blonder due to the sun. But regrettably, I had not been outside much in the past three months that I had been here, and I still looked pale and depressed. But Beth promised me that she and Rahj were going to take me out for breakfast tomorrow and that we could go to the markets and the beach, at first I was hesitant, but finally agreed when Rahj told me that it might make me feel more at home to get out a bit. But if they thought that would mean that I would be going back to school and eating more they were wrong! And so I am still sitting in my room reading, munching on an apple Beth brought up over 2 hours ago, yelling back "I don't really feel hungry tonight!"

"Ok then" she replies, and I continue till the end of the chapter then go to sleep as I want to get up early tomorrow so I can read another chapter before we leave for breakfast. As I drift off I can hear Beth & Rahj coming upstairs and whispering goodnight as they close the door.

- PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA -

2 months later……

"Hurry up Ams, were gonna be late!" hollers Rahj, "Coming!" I yell back as I skip down the stairs. "Ready?" says Beth, "Yes" I reply. So you're probably wondering if this girl 'skipping' is actually the same person who lost her entire family almost half a year ago, well amazingly it is! I know it seems weird, but I have slowly managed to make amends with my past and have started to try and start anew. I know that dwelling on the past will make me sad, and I know that not only would my family be worried about me but they know like I do that there is nothing I can do about what happened. I have been at school everyday for the past 5 weeks and have even made a few friends. When they find out why I am in India, they look at me funny and ask why I don't look sad all the time, I simply explain that I have every picture ever taken of my family covering a whole wall in my room and that I feel as though they are just away for an extended period of time. They understand that I do not wish to continue talking about it, so we usually go onto talk about school or the weekends.

At first Beth was worried about my sudden change, but when I told her that I don't think my family wants to remember as being victims of terrible accident but as amazing people who lived their lives to the full, she understood. That weekend she and Rahj helped me make a collage of all my family photos, we also redecorated my room so I feel as though I am brand new!

But the most exciting thing is that I have been reading some new books, one about warriors from the 5th & 6th Centuries, and it covers Rome, Britannia, India and even Sarmatia. Beth took me to a store in town that sells books and weapons, all from the ancient Indian Martial Arts & Defense Combat, the owner explained that even though that form of fighting is gone, it is still an important part of Indian culture. I bought two books and an imitation sword that had a curve at the end. Jasmine, a friend from school, actually has a grandfather that knew Indian combat tactics, so she and I sometimes spend our weekends together practicing. Other times I just spend them lazing around with Beth & Rahj, or with my friends, or doing (gag) homework. Tonight, Beth & Rahj have gone out for dinner and I am at home reading; there's a shock! After moving on from the Indian Warrior books, I have started on one that was supposedly inspired by Merlin, not the white bearded wizard from the make believe stories, but the one who they believe was in fact the leader of the Woads and a master of some of the ancient magic's. I am finishing a chapter on 'Dreams' and how they can be interpreted, apparently the Woads were very into the analysis of people's dreams.

As I continue to read I can feel my eyes starting to close, I close my book turn off the light and snuggle down into my bed. As I do this I can hear a car pull into the drive, indicating that Beth & Rahj are back. I close my eyes and wonder if I'll remember my dream in the morning so I could try and interpret it. I hear someone say goodnight as I fall into a deep, peaceful sleep.

**So how was that?**

**I know that many people wouldn't move on in 6 months if they had just lost their family, but I believe that they wouldn't want you moping around and wasting your life!**

**I apologize if that offends anyone.**

**Aside from that, I wanted to show what a strong personality she has, she is loosely based on a family member of mine who is very young. **

**I also wanted to show that she has an interest in history, especially her own, that she is both British and Italian, and that she is interested in different forms of combat, but doesn't get grossed out by the thought of battle.**

**The next chapter is entitled 'My Journey Begins'.**

**It goes into her transportation to 452 AD and what happens when she first arrives.**

**Keep a look out,**

**Luv Punky!**


	4. My Journey Begins

Disclaimer:

**Disclaimer:**

Just to reiterate the fact that I own nothing of 'King Arthur' or 'The Last Legion' (sighs)

So if you want to sue me over this story, all you are going to get is my collection of Porcelain Dolls!

Hope you all enjoy!!

"**My Journey Begins"**

The sun shines brightly through the curtains, streaming in through the gaps of material and making small pools of light on the floor. I turn over and slowly open one eye to see what the time is; the bright red numbers tell me that the sun has been awake for quite a while and that it is well and truly time to get out of bed! I leisurely roll onto my back and sit up; putting both feet onto the hard-wood floor I trudge to the ensuite attached to my room to turn on the shower. After having a quick shower to wake up, I put on jeans and a singlet and jog downstairs.

"Good morning sleepy-head, you slept late today?!" Beth said fishing for an explanation. "Yeah, I didn't realize it was so late. I guess I must have read too long last night!" I say with a laugh.

"We were thinking of heading to the beach today, what do you think?" asks Rahj, "That sounds great!" I respond enthusiastically. I have been spending more & more time in the sun, and my skin has gone a deep golden brown. My hair has also been sun-bleached to a lighter blonde; Beth says I look like a 'surfie'. I laugh to myself remembering the last time I tried to surf; I got dunked so many times my head had more sand on it than hair!

I grab an apple and head back upstairs to collect my swimsuit and get ready to go.

About 15 mins later we arrived at Kovalam, which is about 16 km from where we live in the city (Thiruvananthapuram). Kovalam, which means 'Grove of Coconut trees', has three crescent shaped beaches; the Light House Beach, Hawah Beach & Samudra Beach. Its funny seeing all the tourists around; the adults with their pale and burnt skin; the kids screaming and running up & down the beach with parents chasing them; either for fun or attempting to put sunscreen on their little ones bright red cheeks! I reflect on memories of my own at this very beach with my parents, I feel my throat tighten as my eyes start to well with salty tears that dribble down my cheeks to rest on my lips. I sniff quietly and wipe the sadness away; I have learned to hide my vulnerability and grief very successfully, it's now become second nature to cover up my emotions that result from pondering on my family and such. I know some may call it heartless, but it's more of an automatic defense mechanism. When I decided to start anew, after about 3 weeks the drive in me died and I started to fall back into my depression, determined not to let that happen I taught myself how to cover up these emotions and try and focus on a new life; it took some time but I now manage to shut off my emotions if I feel my depression starting to return. To some it seems cold and unfeeling, but to me it's the only way I can survive on my own.

I relax into the water and let the cool liquid soak into my long hair, as I wade further out I have to start diving under the small waves that roll toward me. It feels good to get out far enough where I can just lay on my back and float; when I lift my head I can see Beth & Rahj a couple of meters from me keeping a close watch. With each wave a small part of my everyday stresses are washed away, leaving me feeling more relaxed and calm; that is why I love the beach. Dad and I would come down here all the time, but Mom hated it, she always said she felt like a donut being rolled in cinnamon sugar at the beach! Dad and I would just sit there and laugh at her, thinking about how much she was missing! I dive into another wave, but when I resurface I cannot not tell if the salty taste is the sea water or my tears, being so far out I don't worry about my mask anymore as no one can see me! "AMY!!" I turn to see Beth waving at me to come in. Slowly and with minimal effort I make my way back to the shore for lunch. I grab a hot chip and it burns the tip of my tongue as I gobble it up, Fish & Chips, the best lunch at the beach! "The water is really nice!" I exclaim, Rahj nods and says "Yeah, a lot better than last week!" After scoffing down some more chips and half a piece of fish, I place my towel on the sand and lay down to have into a quick breather before I go back into the water! After what feels like only a few minutes, I hear Beth calling me again. "Amy, Amy! Wake up!" I open my eyes to see her looking down at me with her towel and the beach umbrella in her hand, "It's time to go sweetie!" "But I wanted to go in again; we haven't even been here…" I start to object when I sit up and realize that the sun is starting to set. "Been here that long?" she finishes for me, "Hun, you were asleep for almost 3 hours, it's nearly 4 o'clock!" I sigh as I get up and collect my things, "All well" I say "Holidays will be here soon and we can come down here all the time!" "I guess" replies Beth as we pile into the car. Just before Rahj takes off I yell "WAIT, STOP!!" "What is it?" ask Rahj, "My necklace, I think I left it on the beach" I say as I run out of the car and down to the spot in which we were sitting, as I frantically search for my lost item, something sparkly catches my gaze and I look down to see my locket half buried in the sand beneath my feet. I quickly snatch it up and check that it is not broken or damaged; you see it was the last thing I got from my Grandpa Jon & Grandma Beth before they died. Plus, just last week I found one of the old books, one which was about something called 'Dimension Shifting', had a symbol on the front that was exactly the same as symbol on my locket! I hurry back to the car, telling them that I found it and we leave for home.

The drive home is short and before long I am already in my PJ's reading in the downstairs living room. I grabbed 2 books, one about 'Guinevere' and the other is the one about 'Dimension Shifting', unfortunately that one is locked somehow and I have not yet figured out how to open it. "Dimension Shifting?" inquires Rahj, "What's that one about?" "I'm not sure" I reply, "It's locked and I'm not sure how to open it" Rahj inspects the book "Can you see the small indent there?" He says pointing to a small notch on the side of the book. "Yeah" I reply "And I think I know what goes there" I say as I reach for my necklace. "Oh no, not tonight, it's time for bed!" "What? Please just one more?!" "No, answers Rahj, "You need to get to sleep!" "Fine!" I huff as collect my stuff and go to my room. "Goodnight Beth! Goodnight Rahj!" I yell from the top of the staircase, "Goodnight Amy!" they reply. I hop into bed and quietly undo my necklace; I open it and place the symbol over the lock and press. 'POP', it unlocks and I almost drop it! I carefully open it to reveal extremely old pages, with hand written notes and drawings done in a wide nibbed fountain pen. I turn to the very back and there in beautiful cursive letters I read:

If you're lost within the darkness;

lost beneath the light.

Lost without the ones you love;

yes lost but in plain sight.

If you feel lost without any hope;

or lost and feel that you can't cope.

Take cheer in knowing you're not alone;

and that somewhere you will find,

a place to call home.

All of a sudden I feel very tired; I place my book on my bedside table and give way to the darkness of a deep, peaceful sleep.

- PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA -

"When do you think she will wake?" "I'm not sure, the journey must have been tiring" "Do think we will be able to understand her, and will she even know why she is here, did the girl tell you just in case? And what if…" "Mira please stop! We will find out when she wakes!" "Yes Aurelius".

- PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA - PAA –

I feel myself coming out of unconsciousness, and realize that I have a splitting headache and that sometime during the night I must have fallen out of my bed because I am lying on hard ground and on something small and square-ish, I think one of my books!. "I think she is waking, quickly let's get Maat & Pitaa!" I hear a small voice say, I do not recognize the voice so I slowly open my eyes, but the light does murder to my head and I have to close them again. "Hello, are you awake little one?" I nod, "Yes, Beth" I reply "But I have a really bad headache, can I just stay here for a bit longer?" I hear giggling and force my eyes open. I gasp as I realize that I am not in my bed, or even in my room! I look at the people around me; there are 2 adults, and 2 young children. The man has pale-ish skin, light eyes and light brown hair; I assume that he must be English. The woman however, has beautiful dark skin, with long black hair and light blue/green eyes! The children have dark skin like the woman, but light hair like the man, this leads me to conclude that the 2 little ones are their children. "Wh-h-ho-o are you?" I ask hesitantly, "I am Aurelius; this is my wife Mira and our 2 children, Augustus and Manisha. What is your name?" "Am-m-my, Amy Katherine Paxton" I answer, "Where am I?" "You are in Keralaputra, India. This is our home and you are our honored guest! Is there anything I can get you?" asks Mira. I relax when she says Keralaputra, and assume that I must have slept walked out of home. I reply to here question by asking for some aspirin. She looks at me funny, and then inquires "What is aspirin?" I blink, is she serious! I sit up and look around to find that I am in some funny little house, which looks nothing like the 21st Century architecture that I have seen where I lived in Keralaputra, wait…… "Where did you say we are?" I ask "In Keralaputra" she responds "Don't you mean Kerala? It hasn't been called Keralaputra for thousands of years!" I exclaim deeply confused, and with my headache growing! "I have never heard anyone call here Kerala, but maybe that is the name in your time" I feel my eyes widen, if that is physically possible, and stare at them all in disbelief! "What do you mean my time? What time is this?" this time Aurelius responds, "She didn't visit you, and tell you that you were coming or what you were to do?" he asks incredulously. "Did who visit me?" "The Dimension Shifter, she told us you were coming. But she didn't tell us why!" Dimension Shifter?!...my book, I turn around to find that the square-ish object I was lying on was indeed a book, my book on 'Dimension Shifting', I open it and read the first couple of lines:

If you are reading this you are probably in search for some answers as to why you are a place unfamiliar to your eyes. Dimension Shifters are artists, who take you to a new place and paint you a new destiny! Ask around, someone will have been told about you arrival and they will greet you, and take you into their family. Do not concern yourself with the trivial matters of what you should wear, or what you can eat, or even how those left behind will react to your disappearance. Those in another time will simply have fond memories of you nothing more, nothing less! Now stop sulking and ask around, you must settle in your new existence before your Shifter will arrive to detail your past, present & future! Do not worry if they do not emerge immediately, they will only appear when they feel you are ready to take control of your new life & destiny!

Good luck on your journey, and remember…

'Take cheer in knowing you're not alone;

and that somewhere you will find,

a place to call home.'

I slowly shut the book and look at Aurelius and Mira; "You were told I was coming?" they nod in acknowledgment, "What year is this?" "452 AD" replies Aurelius "Wow! This is amazing!" I yell and they look at me, slightly unnerved by my sudden outburst. "Ummm…what do I do now?" I ask hesitantly, unsure if I will like their answer. "Firstly we will need to have a story as to why you are here……you could be a distant cousin of Aurelius', whose family has recently past and have been sent to live with us. How is that?" I look at her and answer that that will be fine "What about my name? Will I have to change it?" "Yes" responds Aurelius, "But it is no problem, your last name; 'Paxton' is Latin or Old English, so you could use that as a first name. And you can take Antonius as your family name, like us" "Ok, then I will be Paxton…" I pause briefly before continuing "Amerine Antonius" "That is beautiful, how did you decide upon your second name?" queried Mira "It's a combination of Amy & Katherine, that way I am able to keep my original name as well!" I answer proudly! "Of course" comments Aurelius. "Well we should probably get you changed and arrange for you to meet some of the town's people" starts Mira "Then we can focus on getting you settled and make sure you can fit in with our lifestyle" continues Aurelius "Manisha can show you where to change".

A few minutes later I emerge wearing a traditional Roman stola, a long pleated dress, over a tunic. It had long flowing sleeves that covered my arms, and was bound by ribbons around my waist and shoulders. I also wore a palla, but instead of having it draped around my shoulders like they would in Rome, it was wrapped loosely around my head and fastened with a gold broach so as to show respect to the men in the area. On my feet were, as Aurelius called them sandalium, or simply sandals. Aurelius told me that I would be wearing clothing customary to that worn in Rome, as that was where I was supposed to have lived before being sent here to live my 'cousins'. Mira said that I looked stunning and noble, and that I was sure to impress the members of the council that were gathering at Aurelius' request to meet and confer about me. As we left the house I gasped as I looked around to find that many from the area around had congregated outside to meet this new-comer who was related to Aurelius & Mira, you see from what Augustus Manisha have told me, their parents are heroes in all of India. Aurelius was a very prominent man and once a General, of something called the Nova Invicta Legion, in Rome; furthermore he was close friends with members of the senate and even Caesar himself. Mira was a warrior who at the age of 14 had mastered every level of the Indian Martial Arts & Combat Defense; she joined the Byzantine Protection Arms and was sent to Rome to defend an ambassador from Constantinople. It was in Rome that Aurelius & Mira had met; after only a short period of time they were married and lived together in Rome. It was there that Augustus was born, however soon after their son's birth Aurelius' duty to the Roman Empire was concluded. Mira begged and pleaded with Aurelius to take her back home, so that their second child could be born in her homeland. After much debate with family & friends, Aurelius decide that it was fair for them to move to India so Mira could have extra help with the new baby from her own family. And that is how they ended up in Keralaputra. About 6 months later Manisha was born; it has been 7 and half years since their move and Augustus and Manisha are now 9 & 7.

Whilst we walk to the town centre I can hear people chattering about me. "I hear that she is cousin of Aurelius" said one woman "I heard that her betrothal in Rome fell through, so her family sent her here because she is disgraced" said one woman as I winced from her unsavory comment "Well I heard that all her family is dead and that she had no where else to go, but she is of good name and status" gushed an older woman "I would prefer that be true, she would make a beautiful bride for my Dhanesh" boasted one lady "or for my Girish" giggled another. I closed my eyes and prayed that my 'Shifter' would arrive soon and that I would not have to endure any women trying to obtain me for their sons. I open my eyes as we slow to a stop in front of a huge building. I see Aurelius departing from the front, he stops in front of me and holds out his hand "Come cousin" I take his hand and silently follow him up the stairs. When we enter the building, hush falls among everyone in the room. "Members of the council and distinguished guests, I am proud to announce the arrival of my cousin, Paxton Amerine Antonius" Aurelius gives me a look that says I should bow, and I do so without falling over earning the approving smiles of a couple of older men and women. Aurelius and the other members of council then head towards a back room as I am ambushed by people from every corner eager to learn the truth about my arriving in India. I manage to answer a few questions before I feel my headache returning, thankfully by this time Mira has entered and shoves through the crowds to stand by me for support.

After what feels like hours of "Where are you from?" "Who is your family?" "Why are you here?" and other probing questions Aurelius returns saying that it is time to return home. I am thankful and move towards the door quickly before Mira grabs my arm whispering "You are meant to wait, you cannot walk ahead of Aurelius, firstly because you are a woman and secondly because you are younger. You have to remember this if you are to remain on the good graces of the council" I nod and bow my head as Aurelius walks out, followed by Mira and then myself. As soon as we get home I let out a big sigh and turn to Mira, "You are going to have to teach me how act in public and with company, we do not have any special customs where I come from" She lets out a small chuckle and turns to me saying "Yes, I know!" I laugh at her bluntness as I unwrap my palla. As I look back up something catches my eye and I see a long curved blade, very similar to the practice one I have at home, hanging on the wall in the sitting room. "Wow, is this yours?" I ask as I walk over to look at it. "Yes, I used it when I was still in the service; I was very good with it. Do you know how to use one?" she inquires "Yes!" I reply eagerly "I had a practice one at home. I have read all about the Indian Martial Arts & Combat Defense in books and have even practiced with someone who used to fight!" I explain to Mira. "Well then perhaps we could have a practice together?" she asks, "That would be wonderful! Could we do it now?" "I don't see why not, but you will have to get changed first. You could wear one of my old training outfits. Manisha! Could you please get one of the training outfits from the chest in the back and put it in Pax's room please". "Yes Maat!" the little girl answers as she runs off. "Does 'Maat' mean mother?" I ask, "Yes, and Pitaa is Father" "Oh, have you taught Manisha the 'Arts'?" "No, Aurelius doesn't want me to. He doesn't want his daughter taken away to join the Byzantine Protections Arms like I was. And she does not seem to have aptitude for it" Mira concludes as Manisha runs back into the room to tell me the clothes are ready.

About 10 minutes later I am in attack stance wearing a white linen long sleeve top and long brown pants tucked into black leather knee high boots. Around my right leg and middle is a holster made out of leather that holds a curved blade similar to my practice one. I close my eyes and wonder why on earth I thought I could do this, as I open them Mira yells "ATTACK!" I draw my sword and step forward as she draws hers. Trying to gain control of the situation I engage quickly, it seemed to be going ok till "Ow!" a tiny droplet of blood runs down my hand "Relax! You must make every effort to stay calm, keep your muscles loose, and keep your breathing regular" instructs Mira "If you are tight, you cannot act with speed" she says as she swings her blade around her back to block another attack of mine "which can be fatal". I falter and almost trip as she swings her sword past my stomach "Remember balance! Then you can strike and parry without being hit!" I walk forward '1, 2, and 3!' I count each tap of the defense triangle in my head as our blades make contact! I move forward again only to be blocked by her sword and trapped in a compromising situation "Evaluate your situation! If it seems to be too easy then it probably is! You should take note of the terrain and environment before you engage. And if you can, try to get an idea of how your opponent fights" "Ok!" I reply as I deflect 2 blows to lunge and connect with Mira's arm, she hisses at the pain but continues fitting! "If possible try and assess the situation as quickly as possible!" "How do you do it quickly?" "You have to learn to read your opponents and that is not a skill I can really teach you, you must learn it on your own. Techniques that work for me may not work for you" I nod as we continue to parry with each other. "Overall, the most important thing is that once the fight has begun, find the flow of battle and attempt to control it! It is difficult in the beginning but with effort and hard work you can learn to control and manipulate your opponent without them even knowing!" she concludes as we finish off with one more defense triangle. We withdraw to hear a clapping coming from behind, "Well, it seems you have been blessed with a gifted pupil my love!" exclaims Aurelius "Yes, she has much energy and talent. You can go in and clean up, dinner will be ready shortly" I nod and head back inside.

"Oh, Aurelius she has so much untapped talent! The way she moves, it's like a dance! And she hasn't even had the training, do you think that I could instruct her?" asks Mira, Aurelius stops and turns to face her "I think that if you believe she can do it then nothing should stop you. At least then you will have the opportunity to teach all that you know. And it may help her with her; we still do not know what her future here will be!" Mira smiles up at Aurelius "You know watching her was like watching you when you used to fight beside me" he whispers in her ear, her smile broadens as she leans in to give her husband a short kiss. They pulled apart and went inside to get ready for dinner. I am in my room, sitting on my bed in a simple linen tunic wrapping some cloth around my hand. I felt so alive when I was fighting, it was like the sword became a part of my body and I didn't even have to think about it! And for those few minutes all the problems and questions in my head disappeared. "Pax, its suppers ready!" calls Mira, "Coming" I respond. I take my seat next to Manisha and bow my head as Aurelius gives thanks. We have rice with butternut chicken and lamb tika-masala, it is the most wonderful tasting dish, with just enough spice and heat to give it that extra oomph. I'm thankful that I am used to hot foods, otherwise I probably wouldn't be able to enjoy the meal. After dinner I help Mira clean up, as we finish putting the dishes away she turns to me and says "I'm know Manisha has told you that I used to fight with the Byzantine Protection Arms, and that I mastered all the levels of the Indian Martial Arts & Combat Defense, and at a very young age" "Yes, she was very enthusiastic about it" Mira smiles before she continues "I was hoping that, if you would allow me, I could train and instruct you in the 'Arts'. Would you like to learn?" she asks hopefully. My jaw almost hits the floor "I would love to learn!" I reply excitedly. "Wonderful, then we should start tomorrow. You are 10, yes?" I nod "Then we have a lot to catch up on, at your age I was already up to level 3. We start tomorrow, early" "Thank-you so much Mira" "My pleasure, now off to bed, we have a big day tomorrow". I nod and tear off towards my room. I hurriedly jump into bed and blow out my bedside candle. As I close my eyes all the thoughts of what has happened to me catch up and start buzzing through my head. I close my eyes tighter and say a small thank-you, to who…I'm not sure, but I'm positive they know.

**Thanks once again for tuning in and reading my new chap! I just want to let everyone know that the next chap entitled 'Growing Up' is an overview on the next 4 or so years of Pax's life. It goes through her adjusting to a new culture, training, teenage years & challenges of growing up. We meet her 'Shifter' and also lay the foundations for her journey to Britannia and her new future! **

**Please let me know what you think by hitting the little purple button and giving me a review!**

**Once again no flames, just constructive criticism!**

**Luv yas,**

**xo Punky ox**


	5. Growing Up

Disclaimer:

**I can't believe it has taken me this long to write another chap! I am soooooooo very sorry, and I hope to make it up to you with this new chapter. I know that I could sit here and give u every excuse under the sun but that wuld just take to long so without further adieu I present the next chap which details Pax's life from the ages of 10 – 15. **

**Disclaimer:**

Just to reiterate the fact that I own nothing of 'King Arthur' or 'The Last Legion' (sighs)

So if you want to sue me over this story, all you are going to get is my collection of Porcelain Dolls!

Hope you all enjoy!!!

"**Growing Up"**

"Get up!" I can hear a voice saying. I open my eyes gradually and see nothing but darkness around me, concluding that it must be very early!

"What time is it?" I ask sleepily

"It's already 6; we should have started an hour ago! But because this is your first training session I thought I would go easy on you, just this once." replies an awake Mira. She is standing over me with her hands on her hips, waiting for me to get out of bed.

"6!! It's too early and I'm still tired!" I complain as I put my head under my pillow and cover it trying to block out the image of Mira looking at me expectantly, it was making me feel bad for her being up so early to train me and I not wanting to get out of bed. Eventually the guilt overpowered my sleepiness, and I drag my self out of bed.

"Ok, I'm up!"

"Wonderful, I will see you outside in 10 minutes!" she says commandingly.

I groan, dragging myself to a small bowl which sits on the wooden chest in my room; I splash lukewarm water on my face, willing my eyes to open fully.

10 minutes later I half stumble out of the house to see Mira, ready & waiting. As my eyes adjust to the dusky light revealing the dawn of another day, I take in the beauty that is India. Already, even at this early hour the smells and spices that embody what India is are in the air as the older women in the village start to prepare for the day ahead.

The cool breeze that rushes through the trees makes my skin goose bump as I shiver slightly, fortunately the sun should be up soon and knowing that it will be a good day makes me smile.

"Let's begin!" she says as she gives me a practice sword and gloves, we take our stance and the lesson starts.

– PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA –

"Ow!" I groan as I slowly sit down for dinner. I hurt all over, all my muscles ache from over-usage and everywhere else hurts from falling down, being hit by Mira and even from being hit by myself. Obviously I am not as fit and coordinated as I thought I was.

"When I first started I hurt in places I didn't even know I had, it does get better the more you practice" encourages Mira. I smile and reply "I hope so!" everyone laughs at my comment.

We continue to chat quietly throughout the meal, telling stories and learning of each others days, I find it refreshing to be amongst such a family spirit. When we finish I help Manisha clear the table and wash the dishes.

"Tomorrow we will start at 5" announces Mira, I look at her and realize that she is referring to my training, "I will need to get to sleep early then" I reply.

I say goodnight to Aurelius, Mira and the children as I head off towards my room. I am not looking forward to tomorrow; I know that the pains I feel now will be even worse tomorrow, and that it will slow my speed and accuracy whilst fighting.

As I wash my arms and legs and prepare for bed, I ponder on when my 'Shifter' will appear and how long in which I am to remain here. I relax into bed and close my eyes, with a small smile on my face I drift into a deep sleep.

– PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA –

A year and a half later……

"Well done Pax! You've outdone yourself!" exclaims Girish picking himself up off the ground. "I have never enjoyed losing so much!" he says as I smirk. "Watch it Girish!"

He playfully glares at me and says "You know you enjoy it!" "Not as much as she enjoys it from me!" calls a voice. I do not have to even turn around to know who it is, "Why don't you come closer Dhanesh and then try saying it again!"

Dhanesh and I have been almost enemies ever since I came here; he likes to charm women and honestly thinks that he is a god that has fallen from the heavens. Honestly, I have never met anyone so conceited, I know being only 11 means that I haven't really met that many people in my life, but he really is so annoying!

"Aw, come on Pax! I know how about a duel!" he asks, "Ok" I reply while grabbing my practice blade which is only made out of wood. "No, I mean a real duel, with our swords" he says drawing his weapon.

"Dhanesh, you know we're not allowed. And it's not fair on Pax, not only are you the best in our class, but Pax does not take combat lessons with the boys!" "Stop trying to protect me Girish!" I snarl as I draw my blade, and take stance against Dhanesh.

Dhanesh laughs as he takes position in front of me, we both look at Girish who sighs and then counts backwards from 3, ending with 'attack!' Dhanesh is aggressive; he jumps forward and swings his blade catching me off guard so much it actually nicks my hip. I wince as I step back to counter another attack, he is good but has no style, just raw power.

I deflect two more blows then go in for my own, I graze his upper arm and he yelps as his sleeve betrays and large crimson blotch. I smirk and swing again while he is still in shock connecting with stomach leaving a long but shallow cut that travels along the length of his abdomen.

I smirk but my victory is short lived as Dhanesh stands and swings his blade low cutting my thigh, I scream as it is a deep cut and fall to the ground, he looks down at me angrily and lifts his blade. His glare worries me as I am not sure if he is actually planning to finish me or not. Not giving him the chance to choose, I rollover till I'm flat on my stomach, then sticking my legs between his I knock him to the ground.

His sword flies to the ground a few meters from where we are, we both scramble to get our swords but as we stand to continue our battle we are interrupted by a loud "That is enough!" we both turn to see a very angry looking Aurelius.

"Girish, you take Dhanesh home now! And Paxton you come with me!" he commands, I sheath my weapon and hang my head as I follow Aurelius home.

An hour later I am lying on my bed, washed with my wounds bandaged. Aurelius was furious at me for being involved in such a silly and dangerous activity as fighting with one of the trained boys. And I am now home-bound till I can prove that I am responsible enough to spend time with the boys. Until then, Mira has doubled my training schedule; she says that if I have enough time and energy to duel with the boys, then I mustn't be working hard enough.

I am dreading tomorrow, as I know that it will be only the beginning of a long punishment that could go on for as long as Aurelius and Mira deem necessary.

– PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA –

2 years on……

"Faster Peyton!" I yell into my horse's ear, she is a magnificent animal; Aurelius & Mira gave her to me as a reward when I got half way through my training. Peyton is dark brown, almost black, with a long, glorious tail and deep, beautiful eyes. We reach the top of a small hill, and I tug on her reins so she slows.

I look out over the ocean, one day I hope to travel, but Mira says I must complete my training first. I dismount and lean against my companion, "Want to walk?" I ask and she nudges me to confirm her answer. I take her reins in hand and we walk along the beach until it starts to get dark, then I remount and we make our way back home.

It has been a long day, and it was the first time I have been allowed out of home _alone_ since my fight with Dhanesh. I have learnt to control my emotions since then and now I only show them when I want. But Mira tells me that I still have very much still to learn, sometimes I question this as I have been training for 3 and a half years already, but then other times I feel like there is so much more for me to accomplish.

Aurelius informed me that by the time I am fourteen I will have completed my training, the only other girl to do this was Mira. He also told me that after I finished, I could have hopes of working for the royal guard. I hope that my 'Shifter' will have visited me by the time I graduate, hopefully then instead of traveling to Byzantine to join the protection arms, I can travel to find my 'destiny' and experience what this world has to offer me.

Peyton slows to a stop in front of the stables; I jump off and lead her to her stall. After giving her a carrot and a quick brush, I head inside for dinner. I can smell the curry before I even get to the door and my mouth starts watering. "Good evening Aurelius! Good evening Mira!" I call as I enter.

"Good evening Paxton!" they reply. I make my way to the dinner table to join my 'family'! It feels good to be at home!

– PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA –

Another year goes by……

"Pax, Pax, come quick! I've got something to show you!" yells Manisha. "I'm coming!" I call back. I make my way to her room and inside stands Manisha in the most beautiful Sari I have ever seen. She is now almost 12 years old, and has matured into a stunning young woman already, I wish that I had had the same luck; alas I had to wait till the age of 13 before I was even remotely happy with my figure.

Anyway, I have gotten off course, back to Manisha. She is wearing a deep red sari, with gold trimming and bracelets up to her elbows. Her hair is twisted into a big plated bun and she has an elaborate gold necklace covered in precious stones.

"You look stunning!" I gush as I look at her. She blushes and I give her a hug.

"What is the big occasion?" I ask, she looks at me with eyes that are dancing with happiness and replies "I am going to Girish's house, to meet his family!"

Oh, that's right you wouldn't know. Well about a month ago Girish and Manisha started spending more and more time together, first it was when he would visit me, and then he started to just come over whenever he pleased. I watched as they grew closer, until the day came when he took to Aurelius the matters of obtaining Manisha as his bride, you see it's not uncommon for girls to marry young here, I am just glad the she loves him too.

If you are in a position with not much, then your daughter may have to marry just to ensure her families prosperity, many times this leads to heartache on one or even both sides. I am so very grateful that that is not the case here.

"Manisha! Girish is here!" calls Aurelius. I step forward to help her wrap the sash from her dress over and across her head so her nose and mouth are covered. She smiles and gives me another hug before she leaves her room.

We walk out and I stand in hall as she makes her way to the door, I see Girish and give him a warning look, just to make sure he knows that I will be there to take care of any problems. Just to be clear I don't really think anything will happen, but it's good to keep him on his toes.

Later that night as I hop into bed, my thoughts once again turn to my future. I wonder if I will ever find someone that I could spend the rest of my life with. I push the idea out of my head, claiming it to be silly and ridiculous. Anyway what guy would want to be with a girl who could probably beat him in hand-to-hand combat?!

After taking the time to laugh at this, I fall asleep to the sound of the wind gently blowing through the trees outside my window.

– PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA –

Just half a year……

My feet pound the pavement as I run to my station, Kala would already be there so normally it wouldn't be a problem but today we have inspections and if I am not at my station I could get thrown out! Of what you may ask, of the Byzantine Protection Arms. Yes I have been here for half a year now and of course I cannot wait to leave!

It's true that I have made some great friends and I have already managed to earn a ranked position in the Rajput cavalry, which is stationed in the harsh deserts of the northwest, where the fierce Rajput (or sons of kings) Kingdom's lie, but I am still waiting for my 'shifter' to come and relieve me of my duty.

It is hard work here, in the 6 months of my service I have already fought 3 battles against the Muslim Forces, and have almost lost my life protecting a spoilt Prince whom I was assigned to defend for a whole month. Since I am in the Protection Arms my clothing has stayed similar to my training clothes, light weight leather pants and a think cotton/linen blend shirt. On top of these I have a heavy brown cloak and heavy, lace-up brown boots that come almost half way up my thigh. I must also keep my face covered when in service, as I protect many dignitaries they do not appreciate the idea of being protected by women and it also protects me.

(I know that there are also religious reasons why they keep their faces covered, but seeing as though she is not actually Indian I gave her another reason to keep her face covered.

However, when engaging in battle I must wear heavier armor, it took me a while to get used to it, but I am glad that it is not as heavy as the full bodied suits other soldiers wear. Ours is much lighter enabling us to move swiftly. We are all armed with a light curved sword and a small circular shield, and can fight with incredible speed. I have mad many friends in these 6 months but my closest is Kala, the only other female in service.

"I thought you weren't going to make it in time!" exclaims Kala as I take my position next to her. "I……didn't think……I……was going to……either!" I reply, short of breath. Today is an inspection to see how we have upheld our positions in the palace; they use this to determine where they will post us.

"Paxton Amerine Aurelius, you're out of breath. Been running have we?!" asks our senior commander Balaji Vishnu. "Affirmative; Sir!" I reply quickly, he shakes his head and sighs "What are we to do with you? An excellent officer and warrior, skilled in all he levels. Yet you still find it difficult to maintain a schedule, do you sleep badly?" he inquires.

"No Sir, I sleep very well. I always have!" I exclaim, not sure of where he is going with this line of questioning. "Hmmm…interesting" he says slowly, "We shall have to work on this if you wish to continue in the service, tardiness is not something tolerated in the Byzantine Protection Arms" "Yes Sir, I understand!" I say.

He hands Kala and I a scroll each, "However, it is my duty to inform you……" I wait hoping for it to be good news, I could not handle the shame of returning home after being dismissed from the BPA "that you have both been assigned to the Palace, and you will be serving together! I have arranged for your things to be moved to the upper chambers so you can have a more permanent dwelling. Dismissed!"

Kala and I quickly bow and hurry off to the courtyard. As soon as we get around the stone wall we stop, face each other and scream! "You 2 are so sad!" calls a voice from behind us, I turn to see our good friend Bahkim, his real name is Bahnkimchandra, but we have always shortened it (I'm sure you can understand why).

"Why?" asks Kala, "Because you're meant to be big, scary warriors and you run around squealing like girls!" he laughs. "Well Bahkim, that's because we are girls!" I reply as we make our way towards the dining hall. He just laughs and shakes his head.

Later that evening as I am getting ready for bed Kala comes and tells me she is going down to the lake for a swim, so I decide to catch up on my reading while I'm on my own. Suddenly, a bright flash startles me and I fall off my bed. I get up off the floor and my jaw drops at what I see. There floating in the middle of my rooms is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

"Do not be frightened Amy, I am not here to harm you. In fact I believe you have been expecting me" she says coolly. "Amy? No on has called me Amy in years, who are you?" I ask bewildered. "I am Freya, your shifter." I open my mouth but nothing comes out, I think about how stupid I must look, like a fish out of water gasping, but I just cannot grasp what is happening.

"I know this is a shock for you, but I have come to tell you about your future. Would you like to sit down?" I ease on to my bed and turn to Freya, "What can you tell me?" I ask. "Many things" she replies "but only the important you shall know. Firstly, you must leave India. It must be done early in the morning, go and talk to your commander tonight to secure your safe passage to an island called Britain, I'm sure you have heard of it before" she smiles knowingly at me as the pieces click into place.

"Britain!!! I am going home, but why?" I ask, "You are not exactly going home, you will still remain in the year 457 AD, but your future and destiny lie on the land from which you will be born. I can not tell you much more, but I have this for you" she says as she hands me a scroll. I unroll it and find that it is mostly blank except for a few lines at the top of the first page that repeat what Freya has told me about going to Britain.

"What am I supposed to do with this? It's blank!" I exclaim disgruntled, she smiles softly and replies "as your journey continues it will fill in the blanks, the scroll will only give you enough information so that you can continue to the next step in your life. When you get to the end you will have fulfilled your destiny and your next steps will be of your own choosing. I must go now, but I may check in on you every now and then. Good luck Amy!" and then she just vanishes into thin air.

I look down at the scroll in my hand, and then up to the spot where Freya was. After collecting my thoughts I stand and get redressed, I then make my way to my commander's office. 'Knock, Knock, Knock' "Come in!" I take a deep breath and enter the office, unsure of what is to come.

– PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA –

Early the next morning…

"I still don't understand why you're going, you can't just leave!" exclaims Kala as I head for the door. "I'm not just leaving, I resigned my post last night, this is something I have to do Kala, I'm sorry to be leaving you but I have been waiting for this for almost 5 years! You have to understand, it's important to me."

"I know it's important, it's just that I am going to miss you, and it's going to be horrible being the only girl in the service. Are you sure you have to go?"

"Yes, I am sure. But don't worry Commander Vishnu said that he will change your post to the southern wing, so you will be partnered by Bahkim. I told him that that would be to your liking" I conclude with a small smirk, you see I know from a couple of very reliable sources that Kala and Bahkim both have a huge crush on each other, so by making this deal with the commander I'm hoping that Kala will not be to angry with me for leaving so soon after our assignment.

"Really, you arranged that! I cannot believe you; I will be so clumsy I will never get any work done. I'll probably end up dropping my sword or something!" she says as we both laugh. I put my bag down and give her one last hug, "You will be great, I know it. And maybe in a few years I can come back for your wedding!" I laugh.

She gives me a sad smile as I pick up my bag again and make my way to the door, "Travel safe, and write me when you arrive. How long do you think it will take?" she queries,

"Expect a letter in about 3 months or so. Farewell friend, I will miss you dearly" I conclude as I head out the door. I have already handed in all the necessary forms, so now I mount Peyton and head for the gate, there I turn once more to look at has been my home for the last 6 months. After brushing away a stray tear I wrap my scarf around my face and pull my hood over my head, and we exit through the palace gate.

From here it is a long and treacherous journey through Muslim territory till I reach the sea, then from the harbor a relatively short boat trip lands me at the shores of Britain. I hope that I will not have any trouble on my journey; I have taken precautions by dressing as a traveler so that should mean no one would bother me. But if anyone comes looking for trouble, I have my dagger attached to the inside of my thigh. With the thoughts of the long crossing before me, I give a swift kick to Peyton's sides and we are off; galloping towards the mountains leading into Pakistan.

OMG!! I cannot believe how long it took me to write that, but guess wat I have a question for u readers!?!?

Do you want me to…

Go straight from here to her docking in Britain

OR

Follow her on her journey

If you choose the first I will do flashbacks of her journey so you can get a glimpse of what she went through.

I do hope that u continue to read my story even after my terrible updating history!!

Pls review!

Much Luv

! :o) ! Punky ! (o: !


	6. Across the Desert

**Ok, let's follow Pax across what we know as Pakistan, Iran & Iraq. **

**This chap starts about 3 weeks into her travels…**

**Disclaimer:**

Just to reiterate the fact that I own nothing of 'King Arthur' or 'The Last Legion' (sighs)

So if you want to sue me over this story, all you are going to get is my collection of Porcelain Dolls!

Hope you all enjoy!!!

"**Across the Desert"**

Peyton collapses next to me as we rest under a tree, trying to get some relief from the harsh heat of the sun. It is so hot and we cannot keep on without water and a rest, unfortunately I only have a little water left in my bag, so we may have to just sit here till it cools in the afternoon. As we rest I pull out my bag and start to rummage through it…apple, water bag, writing stone, slingshot and pebbles (given me by Augustus as a gift when I left), a spare scarf and my scroll.

I look at it carefully, I feel as though it is begging me to open it. After a moment of thought I give in to its silent taunting and unroll the parchment to reveal that it has magically produced another few lines of text, it reads:

Congratulations on making it this far though trials and tribulation have disheartened you.

You could say that again, in my first week I was attacked 3 times and I had thought that Peyton had died. It was a hell of a beginning, but thankfully it had definitely turned out better since then.

You have proved your worth over and over, showing that you are completely ready for the task at hand. Even so, this is not a journey or task of ease. It is unfortunate that I must be the one to inform you that it will not be easy for you; you will be in unmarked territory as you continue on. That is all I have for you at this time, for look the sun is clouded and the air is cool, now is the time to continue.

"What that's it!?!" I exclaim loudly. Suddenly the scroll rolls itself up in a brilliant flash of light. It's then that I realize that the air has cooled; I drape my cloak around myself as I give Peyton the last of our water. She neighs as I mount her, and once again we are off, heading towards the setting sun.

– PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA –

2 weeks later (it has been just over a month since Pax left)

"Whoa girl, easy there!" I say trying to soothe Peyton. We have just happened upon a nasty looking snake and Peyton is terrified, I try to make her progress around and past the snake but she is too scared to move. Suddenly from out of no where a spear flies past my head and pierces the snake right through the head. I turn around to see an elderly man walking towards me.

"Did you throw that?" I ask astonished, he nods silently and retrieves his spear as well as the snake. "Snake meat is very good, lots of oils to keep the skin healthy." he tells me in a raspy voice. "Yes, it is very good" I say eyeing it hungrily, I haven't had a decent meal in days and feel as though my stomach has started eating itself.

He looks intently at me for a bit, "Would you like to join me for dinner?" he asks kindly, I am gob smacked, a total stranger has just invited me to have dinner with him, but I am too hungry to stay shocked for long "Yes please"! I exclaim a little too loudly earning a slight chuckle from the elderly man. "Very well, follow me then." He leads me across sand dune after sand dune, till we reach a tiny oasis.

He pulls back a palm branch and I duck just in time for it to miss my head, as I raise my eyes I take in the view. There is a small pool of sparkling water surrounded by golden sands and fenced safely by the many different green trees providing protection for any who happened upon the little paradise. To the left of the pool sits a fairly decent sized tent, which I assume is the man's home. It looks as thought he has been here for a while, possibly years, the little spot offering him a beautiful yet protected home.

"Beautiful, isn't it?!" he asks, "Yes!" I reply "it is absolutely stunning!" He starts to make a fire as I remove my bags from Peyton so she can sleep. "Can I help?" I ask "No, there is not much to do. You are welcome to fill your water bag from the pool." he replies, at this I walk over a collect my bag and begin to fill it with the cool water.

I return the water bag to where it sat, next to a peacefully sleeping Peyton. I take the next few minutes to unroll my sleeping bag and set up what personal items I have, it feels nice to be able to actually stop somewhere for a whole night and not worry about whom or what could come upon my camp.

"Have you been traveling long?" asks the elderly man as he removes the chunks of snake meat from a pan sitting over a small fire. "Just over a month, it has been an interesting experience so far" I reply.

"Not exactly what you expected I guess. Why exactly did you leave?" he asks eyeing me suspiciously. I look at him wondering if the truth is a safe option, or if he will think I am insane. "I…uhm…decided to travel a bit before I settled down I guess" I answer chickening out.

"Did Freya tell you to say that?" he asks with a smirk. I look at him completely shocked, "or did you think that I would think you were insane?" he concludes.

"Uhm…uh…well…I thought you would think I was insane. Freya did not tell me what I should do if someone asked me about my travels, in fact she didn't tell me very much at all. She never warned me of what I could be facing; I do not think that I am reading for whatever task she has set for me!" I exclaim exasperated.

"That woman is impossible; I'm guessing she probably gave you one of those ridiculous half empty scrolls too. Now when I used to shift I made sure that whoever it was knew exactly what was happening, but she is just a meddling woman. Only interested in what will be more exciting! It's…it's…infuriating!!" he shouts loudly.

"Sorry, it's just that all these young ones that come up through the ranks make it out to be so hard, and they spend their time just fiddling with things that are completely unnecessary. But, you did get one of the better ones I guess; no matter how annoying she is her heart is in the right place. It would have to be, she is my grand-daughter after all".

"Freya is your grand-daughter, how can that be?" I ask that gentleman, "The gene of shifting runs through the family, it has the tendency to get weaker, but every so often someone with a natural knack is born. Freya and her mother Kiara, my daughter, were two very strong Shifters. My daughter has since retired along with myself and my late wife, but it is always there, very like a disease actually".

"Wow that is incredible, so you retire like you would form work, but you still retain the skills you have learnt. That is amazing!" I say excitedly, "Yes, well dinner is ready, shall we eat?" he asks as I nod enthusiastically.

After we have finished I help clean up, whilst drying off the last plate, I turn and ask "Excuse me sir, but I feel as though I have been very rude, you have shared your food and I still do not even know whom I am to thank?" "My name is Jedekiah, and thank-you for helping me clean up. Now perhaps there is something else I can do for you, where is this scroll of yours?" he asks.

I put down the now dry plate and return to my knapsack for my scroll. I hand it to Jedekiah who unrolls it, there are still only the half a dozen or so lines, he reads them all and then frowns. "That's not much to go on is it, maybe I can fix that he says as he rummages through one of his own bags. He finally pulls out what looks like a pen starts to run it over the blank section of scroll, suddenly words start appearing and forming sentences on the page.

He hands the scroll back to me; it now contains two new paragraphs. "Now you must promise me to only read one of these paragraphs, in four weeks when you will have been away for 2 months, you can read the second one, but not before. Do you understand?" he asks. "Yes, I understand." I reply.

"Good, now get some sleep. It's late and you have a big day ahead of you. Sleep well Paxton" calls Jedekiah as he enters his tent. "You too Jedekiah" I call back. I lay my head down on my pillow……'wait a second how did he know my name' I think sitting upright. I laugh silently to myself at this as I lay back down on the pillow. Looking up at the beautiful night sky, bejeweled by twinkling stars I slowly take in a deep breath, then for the first time in over a month, I fall into a deep, peaceful sleep.

The next morning I wake to the sun shining brightly on my face. I yawn loudly, turning towards the smell of something delicious cooking on the fire. I cannot see Jedekiah anywhere, and assume that he must have gone for a walk. I make my way over to the food; next to the big cauldron bubbling away I find a small bowl with a note resting inside. It reads:

Dear Paxton,

I do hope that you slept well. As you probably would have guessed I have gone for a walk and probably won't return until after you have left. Have some breakfast, but do not wait for me. I can see that you have a big task ahead of you and I would not want tot keep you here any longer than is necessary. I can see that Freya was right in choosing you for the job, I foresee you doing great things; and becoming a great person.

Good luck on your journey,

Jedekiah

A small tear escapes form my eye and runs down my cheek, dripping onto the letter. I quickly dab at it to stop it running. I fold the letter and put it into the same box I carry my scroll in. I remove the scroll and decide that I should probably read the first paragraph before I head off. I unroll it and it reads:

Well done on making it this far, the desert is a treacherous place, do not waste the knowledge you have gained thus far. To ensure great things you must be capable of them, there is no gain without sacrifice, no victory without struggle. You have already met one of your helpers for this journey, now you travel to meet another. However this one will not find you, you must find him, when you reach the village at the foot of the great mountains, ask for a man named Hezekiah. He will help you continue your journey. Remember, you must put forth effort in order to receive blessings.

After securing the scroll and my other belongings to Peyton, I have 2 bowls of the breakfast stew, finding that it tastes as good as it smells. After cleaning the bowl and stacking it neatly with the others, I mount Peyton and make my way to the edge of the Oasis. Looking back at the crystal pool and lush trees I bid my final farewell making my way out into the desert, knowing that my adventure is only just beginning.

**So what you think, the next chap will be "Through the Mountains", it goes with Pax as she travels over dangerous mountain ranges to get to the shipping port at which she will travel to Britain, and yes meet up with some familiar characters. **

**Please let me know what you thought, it's tough to try and start this again so I would like some constructive criticism to get me back on course pls!!**

**Stay tuned…**

**Luv Punky**


	7. Throught the Mountains

**Ok, since the last chap Pax has managed to get across the top of Africa now we catch up with her as she heads over the famous Atlas Mountains in Morocco, from there she will go through Spain & France. **

**This chap begins 4 weeks after her meeting with Jedekiah…**

**Disclaimer:**

Just to reiterate the fact that I own nothing of 'King Arthur' or 'The Last Legion' (sighs)

Hope you all enjoy!!!

"**Through the Mountains"**

"Can I have four please?" I ask the lady behind the stall as she hands me 4 small, bright red apples. "Thank-you" I say as I put them into my bag and give her two small coins. "Oh, I was wondering if you'd be able to help me" I ask as the young woman lifts her head, "Could you tell me where Hezekiah lives?"

"Yes, he owns the house at the end of this valley, see the dark brown one just there" she says pointing. It is a big house so I see it easily. "But he may not be there" she continues, "if he is not you may find him down by the river that runs past our village, you just take that path there" she concludes pointing to a small dirt path not far from the house.

"Thank-you for your help" I say as I grab Peyton's reins and walk towards the house. As we make our way towards the house I take in the view that surrounds the village. The Mountains that reach clear to the heavens, only showing a faint glimmer of snow before clouds covers their majestic heads. I have always loved mountains, I find them calming. It is amazing to think that only a few months ago I was beginning this journey and now I am close to its conclusion.

I reach the house and knock loudly on the door, hoping for an answer. To my dismay no one comes to the door, I mount Peyton and we make our way to the little dirt path that should lead us to the river. Most of the path is surrounded by dense forest, but as we head towards a clearer section a beautifully sweet smell wafts towards us, ahead is a large collection of Glauca trees. (also called 'Cedrus Atlantica' or Blue Atlas Cedar named for its home among the Atlas Mountains)

It smells like sweets and is quite pleasant; I then spy a man sitting underneath one of the larger trees. I make my way towards him, from the side he looks like a kind and wise man; you could almost say that he a Jedekiah could be brothers.

"You must be Paxton, I have been expecting you" he says, "I am Hezekiah."

"It's a pleasure to meet you" I reply as he stands.

"The stream is peaceful, yes? The slow trickle of the water combined with the soothing smell of the Glauca tree makes this a perfect place to meditate and ponder."

"Yes, it is a peaceful" I answer. "Follow me" he commands gently as he makes his way back toward the path to the village. I do not hesitate, over the last few month I have become quite good at reading people, and it has proved to be very beneficial to my survival. Being now fifteen it pays to keep your wits about you as many slimy men have sought my attention on my journey.

You see many marry young, and unfortunately it is usually to men with lots of money and little morals. Because standing is so important, fathers marry their daughters off, in a similar way to cattle being sold, to secure a future for their child and also their household.

The down side is that once the husband is no longer interested, he seeks a younger wife to please him, leaving behind a string of wives with broken hearts and little to call their own. Because of this never ending charade, and because without be humble I can admit that I am very easy on the eyes; I have had a slew of feral men interested in me.

But it has had its advantages, my combat speed and skill has improved (men do not like to be taken by a female, especially younger than them, so hitting quick and hard then running away has proved beneficial), and I have learnt to discern a persons character within mere minutes.

I have never been interested in settling down, maybe when I was little, but now with such a huge future ahead I have decided that it is not worth it. 'Playing House' just doesn't suit me; I am too flawed and somewhat selfish to ever think about sharing my life with someone else. Being linked to a man, cleaning his house, doing his washing, feeding him food and taking care of his kids! I will never give up my independence so I can just drift into invisibility and non-importance just to be some man's 'wife'.

"Maybe one day you will change your mind, you never know who could be out there" says Hezekiah.

"What do you mean?" I ask incredulously, "Never mind, we're here now!" he replies.

He shows me where I can put Peyton for the night and then leads me to a large dinning room where a beautiful dinner of meat, vegetables and bread is spread across a large table. He takes his seat at one as I take mine at the other.

"So, you have seen much of our world by know, how does it compare to what you remember of yours?" asks Hezekiah.

"It is amazing, I cannot remember much of 'my world', but there is so much more culture in the lands of which I have traveled that I could not imagine it would be anywhere near as exciting in the future" I say excitedly.

He laughs at this, "You do not wish to return then?" he asks. "Well it's kind of complicated and a bit long in the tooth" I reply quietly.

"We have time tonight" he urges,

So I begin the story of what I remember happening before I was transported, I watch as he takes it all in. I start getting emotional, so I quickly conclude saying, "Even though I loved and will always love my real family, I have gotten a new one here. I don't feel as though I will ever need or wish to return, it is no longer my home, here is".

He nods his head in understanding, and we finish our meal in silence.

– PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA –

One week later…

Over the past week I have been learning from Hezekiah as much as I could. He is very knowledgeable and loves to talk at great lengths about his life experiences. They are all fascinating and I enjoy our time together very much. He is like the crazy uncle your family politely invites out but secretly thinks he should be in a cell with padded walls. Only you know that it's all a façade, and that he is secretly a genius.

But unfortunately I have to now leave; I have another 3 weeks of travel ahead of me before I reach the ship that will take me to Britain. Hezekiah has informed me that my scroll will not guide me forever, once this journey has finished, the front page will be full, and then I will have to work on my own.

I am worried about this, as I am still unsure of what I am looking for Britain, and the scroll is almost full. I asked Hezekiah about this, but he just told me not to worry, "All will be revealed in due time" he said.

I leave tomorrow morning, by lunch time I am hoping to be at the highest peak of the Atlas Mountains, Hezekiah informs me that after that it is much easier, but that if I don not reach it by lunch I will have little hope of finding a decent place to stop and rest when night falls.

On the way down and out of the mountain range there are many caves that used to be inhabited by the mountain tribes. But they are deserted during the really cold seasons as the tribes cannot survive the chill, no crops grow and the snow & ice makes it very dangerous.

Hezekiah has given me a map of the fastest, but also the safest track through the mountains. Last week he was teaching me about tracking, so I am hoping to put those skills to use, and determine how well I retained the info. I am sad to leave, but at the same time happy to be drawing to the end of trip. After tiding up the dinner I just enjoyed I say goodnight to Hezekiah and make my way towards the room I have occupied since arriving here. I wrap myself up in a big thick blanket and close my eyes; I dread my rising as it will be even before the sun. I drift into darkness as sleep overtakes me, bringing on pleasant thoughts.

– PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA –

Two & a half weeks later…

The darkness of this cave seems to go on forever; I light a small fire to offer some warmth and comfort from the freezing air that howls through the rock haven. I shudder fiercely and Peyton lies down beside me to protect me as best she can, I take the large woolen blanket that was attached to her saddle and drape it over the two of us.

It has been a long couple of weeks; the snow peaks were freezing, especially from someone who has acclimatized to the heat and deserts of India, the Eastern countries and Africa. Luckily I only have one more mountain to traverse, and then I will be only a few weeks ride from the docks, unluckily I still have a few days at sea till I reach Britain.

My tracking skills have left much to be desired, after getting us almost lost about 5 times, I let Peyton take over. So far aside form the wind and ice we have managed to stay out of too much trouble. However, the climb has left me so exhausted that I can hardly breathe, and when I do it is still only very shallow, deep breathes hurt because your lungs fill with glacial air that almost freezes your chest. I feel Peyton nudge me, urging me to rest, I close my eyes and let the coldness take over. My last thoughts this night are silent prays that Peyton and I will wake tomorrow, only God knows.

– PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA –

Another week…

Peyton and I gallop up and over the last bank of grass and sand; I smile broadly looking at the small dock before us. She gains speed as approach the coastline, I quickly dismount and make my way towards the pier, except I am distracted when I notice my bag flash; quickly I open it and pull out my scroll. To my excitement it has completely filled the front page with the last paragraph concerning my journey, it reads:

Congratulations, by crossing the sea you will have completed your journey. Now read carefully, for this is very important, when you reach Britain you must find a man named Artorius Castus, he will know you when he sees you but you must make the effort of finding him first. From there you will begin a new journey, one of hard work and blessings. Do not feel discouraged if you fail at first, for failure is just success in disguise; remember you can learn nothing from just succeeding. Always remember to look for the positive in everything; every cloud has a silver lining, so no matter what troubles you face, possibly in the near future, keep in mind that they will unexpectedly give you the keys to future triumph.

"Well that is pretty straight forward" I say, with that I roll it up and place it back in my knapsack. "Would you like to go for a boat ride Peyton?" I ask in a motherly voice, she neighs confirming her answer. "Ok, let's go see if we can get aboard then" I finish, grabbing my bag and her reigns leading her through the crowds to one of the cargo/passenger ships making the crossing to Britain.

"How much to board?" I ask a rather scruffy looking man by the ship, "'pends on whever ya wanna bring da 'orse wif ya. She'll cost ya!" he says looking at me through his one good eye. "I won't go over 5!" I say firmly, "dat's your problem sweets!" he replies crossly. "No" I say pulling my dagger from my thigh and holding it to his neck "it's yours!"

"Fives fine!" he says hoarsely as I release him, "Pleasure doing business!" I call back, I hear him grumble something and then yelp as Peyton stomps on his foot. Before he can change his mind we quickly move to the back of the ship towards the cargo hold. I tie Peyton's reigns to one of the wooden poles supporting the top deck, I then upend a beaten up wooden box, transforming it into a makeshift seat.

I'm hoping we won't be at sea for long, if it's one thing I remember from my previous life it's that I get terrible sea sickness. I can overhear an old lady above us on the deck complaining about the ship, "It's just not acceptable Paul, I expected a much finer ship than this, I don't care if we're meant to in disguise, and this is just disgusting! Furthermore, the fact that we will be among all these common people for 5 days is simply unbearable!"

"I am sorry Helena; this was the only transport we could take without raising suspicion. When we get to Britain Artorius will have you housed in the finest buildings and waited on by all the servants you desire but until then we must just pray that we make it there undetected. Please just sit down and try to relax."

"Yes, I will be praying that this creaking mess of a ship does not end our lives by plunging us into the sea! But just know that when we reach Britain, I will inform Artorius of serious displeasure!" she finished with a huff.

Ok, so 5 days isn't completely unbearable. And they know Artorius, when we dock I will have to try and follow them. I hear the ship hands call out some orders and then feel the vessel violently rock as we drift away from the dock. I take the blanket from Peyton's saddle and lay it across her as she drifts to a light sleep; I then take my cloak and wrap it tightly around myself. I get up from the box and make my way to the stairs, I walk out on the top deck and over to the edge of the boat. I look out over the ocean and smile and my fortunes so far.

I have braved attacks, the heat of the deserts, and the cold of the mountains, feral men, and feral animals, and now I am almost at the end. I believe that together Peyton and I can do anything, and we have proved that, now we face a new journey. One we are starting together again, and one I know that we can finish.

**OK, that probably wasn't my best work to date, but what the hey!**

**Anyway, I am already half way through, my next chap where they dock.**

**Pax gets in trouble, but she also meets up with everyone's favorite knights!**

**Pls review,**

**Punky!**


	8. Arriving on the Island of Britain

**So I am actually planning on keeping my updates to once a fortnight, well that is the plan anyway. This chap starts from when she lands in Britain. Continue reading to find out who the mysterious Artorius Castus is and how he is linked with Pax's future.**

**Disclaimer:**

Just to reiterate the fact that I own nothing of 'King Arthur' or 'The Last Legion' (sighs)

So if you want to sue me over this story, all you are going to get is my collection of Porcelain Dolls!

Hope you all enjoy!!!

"**Arriving on the Island of Britain"**

"ALL ASHORE!" calls the captain loudly as all the passengers scurry off the ship. I am last to get off as I have Peyton with me. We descend down the wooden plank and on to the hard stones that are meant to pass off as beach. I mount Peyton and look for the old lady from the ship; unfortunately she has disappeared, so I start to make my way towards the city gates.

I reach it and find that it leads to a dirt road running along Hadrian's Wall; which will hopefully take me to the township where this Artorius Castus is. It's funny every time I say his name; something in the back of my mind goes off, like I have heard it before, but where?

It is cold, but I cannot be bothered with my scarf, none of the women here keep their faces covered anyway. I take the bright piece of material and wrap it around my wrist as I continue to ride along. It is wonderful not to have to have my face covered; even as the frigid air as it blows against my face, I revel in the fact that I can stand as an equal here.

I am hanging out for a warm bath and a soft bed; after over 3 months of sleeping on a lumpy sleeping bag it will be nice to have a 'home' again. Peyton trots patiently on while I fumble with my bag to keep it on my shoulder, unfortunately it slips and 'SPLAT' lands in the middle of a muddy puddle.

I groan loudly as I hop of Peyton to pick it up, as I bend over I am pushed and lose balance causing me to land butt first in the wet slimy mud. "Who was that?!" I yell turning around to face a group of boys not much older than myself; dressed a hell of a lot nicer than me and all wearing disgusting smirks on their smug little faces.

"Why, what are you going do about it princess?" says the boy in front, running a thin finger along my jaw. I turn my head and bite it, hard breaking the skin. "Ow!!" he yelps and brings his finger to his mouth. "Ooh, that looks bad!" I say mockingly "You might wanna wrap that up." I laugh as I turn back towards Peyton.

"Hey, you can't do that!" yells another boy. "Who says?!" I yell back, "I DO!!!" yells finger boy as he steps forward and takes a swing at me, he hits me right in the eye. I blink once, twice 'damn that's gonna bruise'!

"Stupid common girl, learn your place!" he says haughtily. "You stuck up bastard!" I scream as I swing my fist, connecting with his jaw and producing a bone crunching crack. "Ahhh!" he yells stumbling backwards.

"You're going to pay for that!" the other boy calls as finger boy reaches for his sword. "Romulus is the best swordsman in all Britain; he can best all the guys in class. And he can definitely best a GIRL!" he spits out the word like it's something disgusting.

"Don't you mean best swords-BOY?!" I reply with a smirk as I draw my blade. He attacks quickly but with little thought; and I simply step out of the way as he slips on the mud and falls. I laugh out loud as he gets back up. We parry a few times and I pretend to yawn, he really is too predictable, I have learnt every step he makes within 5 minutes and can easily deflect his every blow.

"We done yet boy?" I ask he turns to face me, but I am confused because for some reason he looks triumphant. "I'm not, but you are!" I turn to see a dozen guards heading towards us, "Damn!" I say as I run for Peyton only to be tripped by Romulus, who grabs the back of my shirt and lifts me up. "Here soldiers, take this one away, she will be dealt with tomorrow." He says haughtily with a menacing chuckle. "Yes Romulus!" they reply.

Romulus releases my arm but the guards are not fast enough as I whip out my dagger and turn quickly swiping at his face. "No, not my face!" he cries as blood drips down his cheek revealing a long gash traveling down the length of his face. "Whoops, must have slipped I hope it doesn't scar!" I call out as I'm dragged away.

"Get in there!" yells the guard as he throws me into a holding cell. My weapons were confiscated and Peyton was in the stables next to jail. It was cold and dark and the only thing in here besides me was a concrete block which I think is supposed to double as a seat and bed. "So much for a bath and comfy bed!" I grumble. "Shut up!" yells the guard.

I make my way towards the concrete block and unwrap my scarf from my waist to create a make-shift pillow. I wrap my cloak around myself and try to ignore the chattering of my teeth as I struggle to sleep. Eventually the darkness of an uneasy sleep consumes me.

– PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA –

The next morning…

I wake to a clanging and a screech as the guards open my cell, "Get moving!" they yell as I make my way out only to be grabbed and shackled. This has got to be the absolute worst day of my life, I am about to be put on trial for attacking a pompous, arrogant boy who provoked the attack just because he is rich; and I look terrible! My black eye is sowing in all it's glory and I have a severely split lip, definitely not my best look!

"Not so tough now are we princess!" says Romulus as he walks up behind me, I swing my chained arms and hit him in the shoulder. "Ow!" he winces, "You were saying?" I ask. "Just wait till you meet with Arthur, then you will be begging for me to take mercy on you. He doesn't like trouble makers here, and you will not be dealt with mildly because you're a woman!" he snarls as he stalks off.

'Arthur?! I wonder who he is……probable just another stuck up rich official' I push the thought out of head as we enter the hall. Inside is a huge round table with young men scattered around it filling almost every seat. I am pushed to the one side of the hall while Romulus goes to the other. "Sir Arthur we come before you with a case of great urgency" reports one of the officials who is with Romulus.

"What is this case?" asks a young man with short wavy dark hair, fully dressed in official roman armor; he looks no more than 19 or 20. "I, Romulus the 3rd, was brutally attacked by this woman" he points at me "after I tried to help her after she had fallen of her horse. I demand justice on the part of myself, and discipline on the part of the trouble maker" replies Romulus. "Please note Sir that Romulus has sustained serious injury from this woman's attack. One of which will remain as a scar across his noble façade"

At this comment I forget all propriety of court and burst out laughing; causing the entire room to look at me. I am hit by both the guards that are by my sides in order to silence my disruption; the blows disorientate me for a few seconds before I am able to stand and glare at a smirking Romulus. The whole room, excluding Romulus, looks at me with open mouths. I'm sure that none of them have ever seen a woman stand up after that kind of beating; that is everyone except Romulus who has seen first hand how tough I am.

"What is your name girl?" asks one of the men at the table, "My name is Paxton Amerine Antonius, I am cousin to Aurelius Antonius former General of the Nova Invicta Legion in Rome." I say firmly. I see Arthur's eyes widen as everyone starts chattering amongst themselves at the mention of my relation to Aurelius.

During this I find the opportunity to smirk at a slightly nervous looking Romulus. I take this opportunity to look at the men sitting at the table, aside from the one called Sir Arthur there are about 9 other men making a total of 10 Roman officials who are probably sitting there contemplating what would happen if they were to detain a relative of the famous General Aurelius Antonius.

Sir Arthur stands and turns to me "Do you show remorse on behalf of your actions? We will not have trouble makers running around here, especially if they will not take responsibility for their actions. Do not think that the spouting of famous relatives will dissolve any transgressions" he informs me.

"I will not apologize to someone who disgraces my honor by pushing me into the mud or challenging me to a duel just because I am female. I have earned the right to defend against any attack whether that be in combat or speech. If you will hold me accountable for the wrongdoings of others then so be it, but I take God as my witness that the evils poured upon will be returned twofold upon those practicing injustice against others."

At the end of my speech I take the time to check the responses of those in the room. One man in particular catches my attention; he is sitting at the table with Arthur and the other men, he has slightly longer and curlier hair than Arthur, and is very handsome. But I find his face almost unreadable as he looks at me, I cannot tell if the steel in his eyes is because of disdain or respect. I am hoping the latter, for I do not want to form too many enemies just yet.

"We have reached a decision…" everyone is waiting with baited breath for Arthur to continue "Paxton Amerine Antonius since you show no remorse and have such a fondness for fighting you are hereby sentenced to 10 years service under the command of myself, Artorius Castus. Let this be a lesson that you will remember!" "NO!!!" I shout as I am dragged out of the hall. How could this be happening to me?!?! How could that be Artorius?!?!

Later that night……

'BANG!' the door to my cell swings open and a big burly guard stomps in.

"Collect your junk, Arthur's knights are here to get you!" he says loudly. I pick up my cloak and make my way outside, as soon as I step out of the door the wind whips at my hair and cheeks causing me to shiver. I head for the stables to get Peyton, I mount her and we trot slowly out of the stables towards two hooded men on horses. "Follow us" says one, "And stay close!" says the other.

We make our way through the township in the dark of night. I shiver again, as cold as it is during the day; it is twice a cold in the middle of the night. The village is silent; I am not used to this kind of eerie quiet. Back home there was always some sort of insect in the garden making noise at night, it was never like this.

"Well, you're definitely not from around these parts, not with those skills" says the one ahead of me, "So where are you from?" asks the one behind me. I stay silent, not desiring to converse with either of the men.

"We're not gonna do anything to you girl!" says the one behind me, "Just answer him, he won't shut up till you do!"

"Give it a rest Gawain."

"You know Galahad, not every girl will fall for you and your 'boyish' charm." says the one named Gawain, I can see the traces of a smirk by the moonlight shining on his face. He has long dark blonde hair and a scruffy beard to match; he looks nothing like the knights I have ever read about.

I turn to the other one, his hood now resting on his shoulders so I can now see his face. He has shorter brown hair and neater beard, but looks just as filthy as the other. "Jealous Gawain, I know getting older, must be difficult for you!" snorts Galahad.

Well if nothing else they are quite entertaining, if this banter continues on it should hopefully make some of my service easier. We continue on in silence till I lift my head and I say quietly "Keralaputra, India".

"What did ya say?!" asks Galahad, "I said I'm from Keralaputra in India."

"Oh, you're a Muslim then, hey?" inquires Gawain.

"No, I am originally from around here actually, but that was many years ago. I lived in Rome for bit but my family has passed, so I went to live with my cousins in India." I inform them.

They are quiet for a few minutes before Galahad pipes up saying "Sorry for your loss."

I smile at him and reply, "Thank you, but it's actually fine now, I have managed to adjust."

"We're here!" says Gawain as we slow to a stop in front of a huge metal gate. I can hear noises coming from inside, some laughter and some moan…..well let's just leave it at that. "Open the gate!" calls Galahad. At this the front door swings open and a man runs over with kings jangling in his hands, "Welcome back Gawain, Galahad! Is this our new recruit?! He's a bit scrawny for a fighter!" says the man as he opens the gate, by this time I have dismounted and am standing in front of the man at the gate.

"Sorry I don't meet your standards!" I say to him annoyed. After I finish he pushes the hood of my cloak off my head and his eyes widen, "My apologies miss, I didn't realize our new recruit was a girl". "That's because I'm not a girl; I am a WOMAN, thank you very much!" I state loudly, "Now where can I tie up my horse?"

"In the stables, but I will take her. You need to learn your way around your new quarters" says the man as he takes Peyton's reigns. I pull my knapsack off the saddle and turn to follow Gawain & Galahad inside.

As soon as I enter I feel relief from the cold, this island really does feel like hell, I thought it was only a term used by foreigners to describe the crudeness of the Roman Fort. I move slowly through the halls following the two knights as they march confidently up and down halls.

"Here ya go, this is your room." says Galahad as we come to a stop in front of a huge wooden door.

"I'm just down there" says Gawain pointing to an identical door two down, "and Galahad is right across from me".

I stare at the big door, then look back at the two men.

"If you have any questions, you better ask now" nudges Galahad.

I shake my head firmly.

"Ok; then you better get some rest. We'll be up at dawn tomorrow, for full day of training." informs Gawain.

"Get to see how good you really are!" concludes Galahad with a wink as the men make their way to their respective rooms.

I glare at his back for a moment, and then turn towards my door. I slowly push it open only to be met with a dim, cold room. I close the door and make my way towards the other side of the room and manage to pull back the heavy material acting as a curtain. The moonlight pours in through the narrow window, creating a long, narrow pool of light on the stone floor.

I turn to inspect my new 'home'; the room is of average size, not as big as my room at the Antonius home, but bigger than my guard quarters at the palace. To my left is a wooden bed with a big wooly blanket thrown over it and scratchy pillow propped at the end. I sit on it and grimace as it creaks loudly; I am a fidgety sleeper and that noise will not be conducive to a good nights sleep.

On the other side of the room is a long wooden table; on it lie a large ceramic jug accompanied by a matching bowl. There is also a candle, I walk over and place my bag next to it. I open it and place some parchment, my special pen from Manisha and an ink well that I got from Augustus on the table.

Taking my bag with me I make my way towards the end of the bed; there located at its foot is small wooden chest; after opening it I empty all my clothes and other personal items into the chest. Nodding satisfactorily at my domestic skill I close the chest and return to my bed.

But before I manage to lie down a shiver runs up my spine from the chill that is drifting through the window; I turn back towards the door and see that to the left of the door is a small fireplace. I smile at my luck and hurry over to light it. After a few failed attempts I finally manage to produce a spark, which after about 20 mins roars to life with a comforting crackling noise.

I tiredly make my way back to bed; not bothering to change I snuggle down into the blanket. Now in a comfortable bed, for the first time in what feels like forever, my thoughts wander to what tomorrow holds for me. Though I am scared and unsure of my new surroundings, I will not let that rob me of a good night's sleep, if I am indeed to be training with the men tomorrow I want to make sure that I will be well rested.

As the glow from the fire disappears behind my closing lids, I smile and slip quietly into the darkness of slumber.

– PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA – PAA –

Early the next morning… (very early) …

'splash' the warm water washes over my face, I rub my eyes and reach for the small linen cloth lying next to the large ceramic bowl. I towel off the excess water, then grabbing a much larger towel throw my head over causing my newly washed and damp hair to fling forward crating a spray of water on the floor; using the larger towel I carefully secure it around my hair so that I can finish getting ready.

I open the small wooden chest and pull out what clothes I have left; as I inspect my traveling clothes I see that beside my dark brown leather boots and my large hooded cape, the rest of my clothes have been seriously worn from the elements. I frown and quickly throw on a pair of pants which are now sporting a large hole on the left leg and a shirt that is stained from sand and mud. I unwrap the towel form my hair and plait it tightly; then I wrap it into a bun secured at the back of my head; even thought I have always loved my hair, especially at the long length that it is at now, it gets in the way when I fight. Hurriedly tugging on my boots and cloak I make my way towards the stables.

After exiting my room I try to remember the way that I took on the way in, only to get lost 3 times before finding the large main door. I push it open and creep out; from there I can easily make out the stables in warm light of the dawn. I pull my hood over my head, fastening the criss-cross straps across my chest so as not to loose it in my hastened steps towards the stable.

I reach the door only to find it locked; after signing dejectedly, I shrug it off and head towards the gate, glad to see that it has not been locked. Once outside I make my way down the street; as I turn the corner I am glad to find that there are only a few stalls open and that not many people are up yet.

I travel along the length of the street till I reach the stall I want; above it hangs a hand painted sign that says "men & woman's attire". I head towards the woman's side only to find it covered in bright girly fabrics made into long elegant dresses, screwing up my nose I turn towards the men's clothing. Grimacing at the severe practicality of the clothes, I select only those that I feel I could alter to make them more 'womanly' without being inappropriate.

"Can I help you?" asks a brunette woman nursing a child with another 2 at her side.

"Oh, hello! Yes I would like to purchase these items please" I reply handing her my armful of men's clothes.

She looks at me funny, "You're not form around here are you?" she asks.

"No, why do you ask?" I answer.

"Because I don't know a single woman in our township that would wear men's clothing!" she says with a laugh; "My name is Vanora, you must be the girl who was assigned to Arthur's troop".

"Yes, I am. But how did you know that?" I ask slightly shocked at her knowledge.

"My partner is one of his men, his name is Bors. Have you met him?"

"I haven't met many of the men yet. I needed some new clothes first." I say pointing to the pile in front of her.

"Oh, of course. You wouldn't be able to fight in a skirt" she says bursting into a raucous laughter.

After talking to Vanora some more about Arthur, the knights and the township, I bid her farewell, promising to return to see her again tomorrow. I hurry back 'home' as the sun is blazing over the top of the trees now and I know that the men would be getting ready.

I open the gate, and the door, then quietly make my way towards where I believe my rooms is; this time only getting lost once. I enter and quickly toss the clothes on my bed; pulling off my boots and cloak I grab the 3 linen shirts I just purchased. Pulling out my dagger I cut a 'V' in the front of the tops to allow movement and conformability, I then shorten the arms on one to about ¾ the length of my arm. I pull on the shortened one and fold the others neatly.

I then turn towards the pants, 1 pair black the other brown; I fold the black ones and place them with my other tops. Then, once again using my dagger, I make a long-ish incision down the side of both legs; using some thread and a needle from my bag I make the pants tighter at the bottom, perfectly fitted to my calves. I pull my boots back on, doing them up so that they are over my pants; I tuck my shirt in and grab my leather buckled belt / sheath placing it securely around my hips.

I take a look in the small mirror I was able to keep from cracking during my trip and decide to let out my bun. If I am going to be living here for the next 10 years, they should get used to the e fact that I am a woman now. My hair hangs just above my belt in a long golden plait. I smile and make my way outside, as I exit my room Galahad & Gawain are making their way out too.

"Good Morning Princess!" calls Galahad with a smirk.

"Good Morning Boys" I call back, slowing to fall into step with them.

"I prefer the term 'Men', 'Boys' is for whelps like…Romulus, he thinks he's good, but he's pretty sad at fighting. You sure you can handle dueling against real men?" he says, eyes sparkling as he baits me.

"Only if you can handle loosing to a woman!" I retort.

Gawain gives a deep laugh, "Come one you two, Arthur will be waiting!"

I smile lightly, and walk faster, I don't want my first day of training ruined by being late!

**She shoots, and finally scores!**

**Another chap done!**

**Hope you all like it, the next one will pick up from here, her first day of training and the trouble she has with fitting in with some of the men!**

**Please review, I won't feel like continuing otherwise, life gets busy, and this gets pushed to the background, so reviews will make me want to write!**

**xoxo**

**Punky!**


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